Docking – the procedure of partial or complete removal of the dog’s tail or ears. The operation is performed both for aesthetic purposes and for medical reasons. The standards of some dogs breeds imply artificially bought body parts. But is it really necessary? At present, there are active disputes about the need for this procedure. Most European countries and many other countries have long ago abandoned this procedure.
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History of Procedure
You can’t even imagine how deep in antiquity the coupon procedure is rooted. On the ancient Egyptian frescoes you can find the image of a black dog with cropped ears. It represents the God of the Dead, Anubis.
In 450 BC, in Ancient Greece, the first documented case of buying a dog occurred. Alcibiad cut off the tail of his dog, causing a violent reaction from the Athenians.
Lucius Columella wrote that ancient Roman shepherds cut off the tails of dogs on the fortieth day of their birth in order to avoid rabies. Ancient Greek traveler Pilos also noticed the purchase of Roman dogs.
In 1763 in the German city of Weimar was issued a decree on taxation of peasant dogs. Boyar dogs were bought to distinguish them from peasant dogs.
In the 17th century, in England, all dogs, except the watchdogs were taxed. In order to present their dog as a guard dog, people bought their tails.
Reasons to Dock the Yorkie Tail
Hunting breeds will buy tails to reduce the risk of injury during hunting. For example, the Jack Russell Terrier was bought to pull the organ and pull the dog out of the hole.
In Ancient Rome, it was believed that a long tail gave the animal a better chance to catch rabies, so they were bought. And the fighting dogs had their ears cut off for more practical reasons. During the earlobe rupture, the animal lost too much blood. And if there are no ears, no problem. It is believed that after the ears were cut, the dogs better catch sounds.
Why Do Dogs Have Tails?
Strange as it may seem, there are no tailless dogs in nature. Animals from which the organ was bought by man are still trying to move it. Why do they do this?
First, the tail is a way of communication. You can determine the mood of an animal by its movements. On a subconscious level, people have the following idea: if a dog wags its tail cheerfully, it means that it is friendly, and if it is pressed under itself, it is scared. But, do not jump to conclusions. Dogs can also wave it in other situations.
Navigator of motion. The body helps the animal when he moves too fast, when he moves on an uneven surface, while swimming.
The way the smell is transmitted. At its base are the paranoid glands. The individual smell of the animal is spread if it is in an elevated position. When the dog is waving his tail, it is as if he shows everyone his presence. When he presses it, he tries to hide.
At what age should a puppy’s tail be docked?
In the first three days will buy a tail, in the first 4 months ears. The tail is an extension of the spine, and it consists of 15-23 vertebrae. Therefore, the operation is performed during the first three days, when the newborn puppy has not yet formed strong bones. It is considered to be the least painful way for the dog.
After 3 days, the operation can still be performed, but in this case, the anesthesia is used. The maximum allowable age for the operation is six months. Later, it is very dangerous for the animal’s health.
How long is a Yorkie tail?
Depending on the breed, the tail is bought differently. It is believed that you can’t cut it too hard, otherwise the puppy will suffer. Below is a table.
- Breed Length of tail after amputation
- Boxer 2-3 vertebrae (to cover the anus)
- Dobermann 2-3 vertebrae (to cover the anus)
- Toiter 2-3 vertebrae (to cover the anus)
- Rottweiler 1-2 vertebrae (to cover the anus)
- Erdelterior 1/3 of the same length
- Spaniel 2/5-1/2 same length
- Wegeneric legal 1/2 of the same length
- Kurzhaar 1/2-3/5 same length
- Drathaar 1/3-3/5 same length
- Poodle 1/2-2/3 of previous length
What dog breeds get their tails docked?
The ear circumcision procedure is mandatory:
- Dobermann;
- Pitbull;
- Caucasian shepherd dog;
- Alabai.
At the request of the owner:
- Staff;
- Cane Corso;
- Boxer;
- Tsvergschnauzer.
Cut the tail of the following breeds:
- Boxer;
- Poodle;
- Kerry-blue-terrier;
- Rottweiler;
- Yorkshire Terrier;
- Schnauzer;
- Spaniel.
Yorkie tail Docking
If a dog is not cut off its tail within six months of birth, it should not do so except for medical reasons. Such manipulations can have an extremely negative impact on the animal’s health.
Anesthesia is used to perform the operation after the 3rd day after birth. Adult dogs tolerate it very badly, up to death. In addition, the operation is very painful and can lead to many complications. So, if you want to buy an animal after six months only for aesthetic reasons, it is better not to.
The Docking Procedure
There are two ways to operate on the tail:
The first and the least painful method involves removal of the organ with surgical scissors within three days from the birth of a puppy. The operation does not require anesthesia and sutures. Ideally, it is performed by veterinarians, but can also be performed at home by breeders.
The second method is to apply a special rubber band (ligature) on the tip of the tail. Ligature does not give blood access to the tip, and after a few days, it falls off on its own.
But this is how the ears are bought. Anesthesia for the dog is already obligatory here, as the procedure itself is quite painful. You can’t feed an animal 12 hours before the operation. On the operating table, the dog is fixed, pre-injecting a dose of novocaine or neuroleptic. Sometimes, the operation is performed under general anesthesia. The very process of circumcision is performed with the help of a scalpel. After the curative procedure, the wound is sewn up and treated with antibacterial agents. The duration of the operation as a whole takes from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Rehabilitation period
After the tail is bought, watch the puppy for a few hours to avoid bleeding. Kutya heals quickly enough and without complications.
After the operation on his ears. That the animal does not comb the sutures, he wears a special framework of plastic. If the animal feels pain and constantly rushes and whines, she is prescribed painkillers. Just spend a lot of time on the sutures, they need to be constantly treated. For disinfection they use hydrogen peroxide, greenery, calendula tincture or streptocide.
The sutures are removed after a couple of weeks, but the rehabilitation period does not end there. If after removing the sutures, they have healed properly, the owner and the dog still have to staging their ears.
5 Dangers and Arguments Against Yorkie Tail Docking
Which theoretically can be affected by a purchased tail:
- communication with animals and socialization. Since this organ is a means of dog communication, its removal may affect the perception of other animals. Couple-tailed dogs are treated more aggressively, as they do not always properly perceive their behavior and motives;
- increased aggression. It has been statistically proven that purchased dogs are more aggressive than their congeners with healthy tails;
- problems with joints. Due to the incorrect distribution of load on the hind limbs, the animal may have a hernia in the future. Also, the removal of the tail is fraught with the development of deformation of the hind limbs;
- motor skills. The tail is not only a way to communicate, but also an important regulator of animal movements. Because of its absence, there are some problems with motor skills. Ordinary dogs are not as bad at corners as bought ones;
- psyche. Studies show that the removal of the tail even at an early age is very painful for a puppy and the shock experienced can lead to mental problems in the future.
Circumcision of ears can lead to all kinds of infectious diseases. Dog’s ears become open to rainwater, dust and dirt, which can contribute to serious diseases. In addition, if the operation was performed by a non-specialist, the sutures of the animal may not heal properly.
How much does it cost to dock a Yorkie tail?
Operations are performed both at home and in specialized veterinary clinics. In Russia, you can buy a puppy tail within 500 rubles. But buying ears, due to the complexity of the procedure, will cost more expensive – 2-4 thousand rubles.
In some countries, the purchase of dogs is prohibited. Such countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
That is, in all EU countries buying dogs is not allowed, and is carried out only at home. In the U.S. and some other countries, buying is still acceptable.
Summary
The Yorkie’s tail should be docked to a medium length in the United States, according to AKC standards. The process of docking a dog’s tail is prohibited in many other nations throughout the world. Tail docking is opposed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, which have worked hard to pass laws prohibiting it. Only two states in the United States now prohibit tail docking. It cannot be done without anaesthetic on a puppy older than 5 days in Pennsylvania; however, it can be done without anesthesia on a dog older than 12 weeks.
There is no purpose to get this done if an owner does not intend to exhibit their Yorkie in an AKC, ANKC, CKC, NZKC, or UKC Conformation Event. Docking is a treatment that some counties perform on Yorkie puppies in which their naturally long tails are amputationed. If an owner lives in a nation where this is prohibited, we strongly advise against having the tail docked. The dog’s tail becomes straight and stiff as a result of this. This breed’s tail is trimmed to half its regular length, resulting in a medium-sized tail that stands vertically.
The top section of the puppy’s tail will fall off if done correctly. For a few days, a rubber ligature is used to limit the blood flow to the dog’s tail. When the puppy is between 24 and 96 hours old, this is usually done. Because anesthesia is considered a danger at this age, it is not administered. It would be considered serious surgery and extremely painful if done later.